The present application relates generally to the field of packages for containing a product and methods for the manufacture of such packages. More specifically, this application relates to packages having a housing portion configured to contain a product and a handling portion that is separable from the housing portion and can be used to handle the product.
Packages are used to contain products in a generally enclosed space (e.g., environment), such as for transporting the products, protecting the products, or for other useful purposes. In certain applications, such as, for example medical related applications, it is necessary to maintain a sterile environment for the product so as to allow for a sterile presentation of the product (e.g., in the case of a medical device or product, to allow for the product to be easily removed from the package without compromising the sterile nature of the product). For these applications, exposure to non-sterile conditions/surfaces (e.g., the exterior of the package or something exterior to the package itself that can come into contact with the product, such as a hand of a medical professional) must be avoided to avoid contamination of the product and maintain the sterile presentation.
Thus, it is desirable to provide packages having an improved construction that allows for separation of the package into two portions. For example, the packages can be separated to provide an improved sterile presentation, such as by mitigating the risk of contamination of a contained product to maintain a sterile presentation. It is also desirable to provide a packages that simplifies the process of removing the product therefrom with a minimum number of hands/steps.